Fantastic comment in the Times - I've never seen so many likes!

[SueBridehead444]

There's a not-very-interesting article about Emma Watson's birthday in the Times this evening and the comments are generally very negative about her - so many likes for this excellent comment!

Is there a rule that says that because someone is female we're never allowed to say anything mean?

If EW were being disproportionately attacked compared to DR and "the other one," criticisms of this would be valid, but that's not the case. DR has come in for just as much stick as EW, if not more. EW is basically less than bright, latches onto every trend that's out there, and has never been a very good actor. There, I said it. And getting to your early 30s before learning how to cook is indeed sad.

I agree with this

Is there a rule that says that because someone is female we're never allowed to say anything mean?

Of course, we’re largely free to call people all sorts of nasty names on public forums, but I’d question whether calling Emma Watson “dumb as fuck” is constructive.

I don't expect unquestioning loyalty to JKR from them, especially because child stars sometimes feel ambivalent about their success. It's the way they have expressed their disagreement that irritates me. Ralph Fiennes and Robbie Coltrane focused on condemning abusive and threatening behaviour and upholding JKR's right to hold her own opinion. All they had to say was, 'I disagree with JKR's opinions on this topic but I don't support the threats she has faced.'

If they genuinely disagreed then surely at last one of them would also disagree with the way she's been vilified.

It doesn't come across as genuine when three different people have identically "right minded" views.

I also agree with PPs that they don't owe her a lifetime debt of gratitude, but it's not really "ingratitude" I'm seeing. It's more that they're using her huge profile to their own benefit by publicly denouncing her views. If they were denouncing anything else it would get them far fewer column inches and adoration. So they're going for her, to make themselves look good and to shore up their own careers at her expense. It's parasitical.

Yes I agree with you - they could have approached it in a much better way.

Personally, I think the three of them are entitled toerags and I will never watch anything else they are in again, but you are much more dignified 😆

Totally agree. Apparently it's ok for JKR to air her abhorrent views but nobody is allowed to challenge her nasty rhetoric? I mean this is why the later HP books are so overwritten and lazy, nobody dared edit them bc she was so nasty (and yes a friend was an editor and Bloomsbury back in the day) so it all tracks.

What abhorrent views? That biological women exist?

I think any child who got picked for those roles should consider themselves lucky. When they recast them for the TV series there will be a queue about fifty miles long.

It does not mean that they have to agree with everything JKR says but it is truly disgusting how they have gone along with US media narrative of JKR being anti-trans and smearing her without even giving any impression of actually reading her essay.

You'll never get an answer to this that reflect sanything she's actually said.

She's been judged guilty of wrong think by the mob. No debate is required 🙄

As with others, I don't think that EW needs to agree with JKR on every particular, but one would have thought that condemning the death and take threats towards a woman you grew up knowing wouldn't be a step too far.

And you'd better believe I'm going to say she's dumb as fuck for thinking that the position of the planet Saturn has had any influence whatsoever on the shape of her life.

*death and rape threats.

Thanks autocorrect, I'd rather not be typing that either.

See, this is what people are talking about. Being fed nonsense from the likes of the HP trio, leads to women needing a rape refuge to recover from sexual assault, being described as 'abhorrent.'

They use their influence provided by JKR to encourage misogyny. It's not 'gratitude' people are expecting from them. It's to not actually leverage their relationship with her to both criticise her and fan the vilification of vulnerable women everywhere.

I agree that Watson et al don't necessarily owe anything just because JKR's work led to them having fantastic opportunities that made them rich and famous. But people who have spoken about JKR's involvement in those films has mentioned how kind and supportive she was to the child actors. You would think that they would have some gratitude for that. And JKR herself has never once criticised any of those actors for taking a different view from her. She is a model of kindness, courtesy and decency, and if any of them possessed a 10th of her qualities they could consider themselves to be fine human beings. As it is, they have shown themselves to be empty-headed, virtue-signalling dimwits, prioritising likes and approval on social media over critical thought and the courage to stand up for what is right.

That daily mail front page is genius

@verystablegenius any woman who centres men in her feminism doesn't understand feminism.

I don't like name calling but I will critique her whimsical privileged ideas whenever she's make believe play acting at being a feminist icon.

Criticising her her statements considering her enormous platform is not bullying.

She has never experienced the kind of life that the women who find themselves fearing a violent male housed in a prison cell next to them or women's shelter experience.

She's middle class woman splaining and as such perpetuating narratives in the public sphere that enable those men pretending to be women to abuse women.

At least JK put her money where her mouth is and set up Beira's place. That's grass roots feminism.

Indeed. In society in general, I reckon, a man is less likely than a woman to be called stupid just for having an opinion people disagree with. Similarly, I think successful and/or conventionally attractive men are less likely to be called stupid than successful and/or conventionally attractive women. The tone in which we talk about Watson is a feminist issue.

I agree with the "biting the hand that fed her", "Rowling is the only reason she's famous" viewpoint overall.

This.

She is not a muppet. She has a ADHD. Cooking is a skill that people with ADHD find very difficult because of the issues with executive functioning. Do some research on it before calling someone with ADHD a muppet.

Something a few of the people on this thread would do well to remember

The tone in which we talk about Watson is a feminist issue.

That's so true. She gets a lot more stick than her male colleagues, for no good reason. That in itself is a feminist issue.

Isn't it partly because she's the only one holding herself out as some sort of ambassador for feminism?

Yes I suppose if her output quality was in such steady decline then that explains how she went on to write the Cormoran strike books which are … so incredibly readible. I’m a fairly serious reader and couldn’t put them down. I daren’t start the last one because I have small children and a busy job. There is no question at all in any sane mind that she is extremely talented.

That's not really what I meant (I mean, she does seem to be, and I don't think she's a very good one! ).

I don't mean she don't be criticised - I think her behaviour toward JKR has been nasty, as others have said upthread, putting the boot in when she needn't get involved.

But I don't think she deserves all the insults like thick and ditzy that are slung at her and not at her male colleagues stars. Society likes to criticise beautiful women.

cant be criticised, not don't be - sodding phone!